Cherry Blossom Promise
by AniMeViEtGrl
Summary: It was a promise made between two very different people to stay together forever. But as time passes, things can change...and promises can be broken. ShikaIno.
1. Broken Promises

_**It's Spring! (Well almost...) and everyone knows that flowers are born in spring! Hence, a new 'flower' is born!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the movie Virgin Snow. **_

**_-Edit 3/29-_**

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**Title:** _Cherry Blossom Promise_

**Genre:** _Romance/Drama/Slice of Life_

**Time Period:** _AU/Modern Day_

**Summary:**_ The fact that her father chose to send her to a new high school because of their sudden transfer didn't bug her at all. What bugged Ino Yamanaka was that he sent her there regardless of the fact that he knew she didn't speak nor understand the language. So how exactly is she supposed to fit in? Surely not by falling in love with the social outcast in the school. _

* * *

_**Prologue: Where all stories unfold…** _

_**The cherry blossoms reflect in the window of the train**_

_**In my heart**_

_**I hear your voice**_

"_Oi! Woman! You're too loud!"_

_A head full of cascading platinum blonde hair turned, the owner of said hair glaring daggers at the raven haired boy._

_"Stop calling me 'woman' damn you! I have a name!"_

_A round of laughter was heard from behind and the blonde turned to glare at her so called comrades. A girl with shoulder length azure hair giggled and unfolded a large blanket, shaking it out to get rid of the wrinkles. The boy wearing sunglasses standing next to her grabbed onto the other end of the blanket and helped her set it down underneath the Sakura tree. Another boy with dark brunette hair decided to help the girl whilst giving the 'bug freak', as he called him often, dark glares. _

_Off to the side a 'big boned', as he would correct other people on, boy with short spiked tawny hair chuckled and unpacked the rest of the food in the picnic basket._

_Taking a secretive peek from the corner of her eye the blonde watched the lazy boy rub his neck and mumble words of regret when his friend called him over to help. When his eyes caught hers he immediately gave her a questioning look, cocking his brow skywards. In return she simply stuck out her tongue and turned to face the sky, dismissing the boy's scowl._

_Watching the falling petals she closed her eyes and smiled, a small blush radiating her cheeks… _

BING BONG.

"Attention passengers, we have now reached Matsue station. Please take all your belongings and exit through the left doors. I repeat, we have now reached--"

"Excuse me Miss?" A light voice floated amongst the seemingly empty train. When the young woman did not respond he tried again.

"Miss?"

Cerulean eyes blinked in surprise and averted from the breathtaking view outside the train window. The passenger gently lifted her head to meet the man's gaze. She blinked at him in confusion, sitting up quietly.

"This your stop miss?" he asked and gestured towards the sign outside the train.

The blonde quickly turned her head towards his hands direction and she read the small blue sign hanging from the ticket vendor's window. Hurriedly getting out of her seat she grabbed her bag which had fallen on the floor during the long train ride. Dusting off the bag she thanked the man with a warm smile before making her way off the train.

Stepping outside the air conditioned transporter a light breeze gently slid its delicate fingers across her cheeks. Taking in the sweet smell of the nearby flora she was hit with a sudden wave of nostalgia. Had it really been four years? It only felt like yesterday when she had been recognized as the 'gaijin' of Matsue. Taking a light step onto the pavement Ino made her way out of the small train station.

_This place really hasn't changed much…_

A soft sigh of relief escaped her lips and a smile knitted its way into her pale features making her face illuminate with a bright radiance. Shifting the strap of her messenger bag she drank in the peaceful scenery and was once again greeted with déja vu. Another breeze began to pick up and Ino tucked a stray wisp of hair behind her ear quietly. The rustling of leaves sounded from all around and Ino continued her way down the familiar street.

Her pace immediately halted when another small breeze came in from another direction. Small pink petals had been swept away with the wind and were now carelessly falling on the pavement as if it was the first snow fall. Ino's eyes softened at the scene and she held her hand out to try and catch a few petals.

_**The cherry blossoms fall, fluttering down**_

_**Embracing every bit of my flickering love**_

_**Even now, I'm dreaming the dream I wished for with you that spring**_

Letting the wind play with her hair Ino closed her eyes and tilted her head towards the shining sky. Feeling a light sweep across her palm she gently closed her fist.

_**The cherry blossoms scatter…**_

Opening her eyes she lowered her gaze to examine her closed fist. A sad smile appeared on her face and she slowly opened her hand, revealing the emptiness that she had tried so hard to etch out of her mind for the past years she had been gone. Clenching her fist she continued to take her stroll down the street, her eyes carefully noting the convenience store on her right, the post office on her left.

Ino began to hum a small tune, telling herself that she was going to be fine and there was nothing to worry about. The waves of nostalgia seemed to hit her every time she passed a familiar area. Bringing her eyes towards the ground she sighed. It didn't help that she was already familiar with the whole town.

Her eyes hardened when she spotted a wooden bridge stretched across a small canal. The place beyond that bridge was the last spot she wanted to see. Ignoring the bridge to her left she quickened her pace, her hand clutching the strap of her bag in a deathly grip.

She passed the bridge hurriedly, ignoring the flood of memories she had vowed to keep locked in the back of her mind ever since she left Japan. A large gust of wind blew in from her left leaving her blonde tresses to tango expertly with the breeze. Ino watched in a trance as a swarm of sakura petals twirled and glided along the air stream, fluttering aimlessly until they hit the ground.

As if by reflex she brought her gaze across the canal and she spotted the field of sakura trees gently blowing in the wind. A sudden wave of melancholic nostalgia came rushing into her and she clutched her chest instinctively.

Turning away to leave she froze when a sudden pair of eyes caught hers.

Her voice instantly disappeared and her breath hitched in the back of her throat. Her lips began to feel chapped and she stared at the person with wide eyes as if she had had all the wind knocked out of her.

_Shika…maru…_

His face remained blank of any emotion but she could tell that he was surprised by her sudden appearance. She closed her eyes and evened out her breathing. The vision of him standing there had triggered another past memory of hers. She recalled how the two had promenaded on these grounds so long ago and how he stood underneath that same exact tree he was standing under now. She remembered every detail about that day. What he was wearing, what they ate, how he smiled at her when standing under that same tree. A slight prickling sensation began to develop in the corner of her eyes and she forced them back from where they came from.

She knew that if she were still her seventeen year old self she would have chosen this very moment to run away. Running was always the easiest solution out of a problem for her. But now….with him standing there she couldn't bring herself to do it. She was an adult now and she couldn't afford to act cowardly and childish anymore….

Ignoring the flurries of petals she fixed her eyes on him and voiced out what they had both been thinking at that very same moment.

"We need to talk"

_**The cherry blossoms fall, fluttering down**_

_**Embracing every bit of my flickering love**_

_**Those days I dreamed of on that distant spring day**_

_**Disappear in the sky **_

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_Tsuzuku..._

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Ugya! Intense! This scene won't continue until later on in the story though. Sorry! The next chapter will start where Ino first moves to Japan.

Lyrics brought to you by Ikimono Gakari from their song Sakura. It's a sad song that amazingly fits this story (almost) perfectly. Youtube it! It's a very good song!


	2. Troubled Heroine

"Example" – Speaking Japanese

"_Example_" – Speaking English

'Example' – Thoughts

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_**Chapter I**_

Aquamarine orbs fluttered open at the sight of a blinding light. Squeezing her eyes shut reflexively she felt her father's hand rest on her shoulder. Turning her head to stare out the window she realized that the bus had stopped.

"_Ino sweetie, we're finally here_" her father said gently as he reached for the bags in the compartment above her head.

Seventeen year old Ino Yamanaka blinked the sleep from her eyes and sat up reluctantly, stretching out her arms while letting out a soft moan. Unbuckling her seatbelt she rubbed her eyes once again and stared out into the dark night. Glancing at her watch she realized that it was just a little past 12. With a small sigh Ino began to help her father unload the bags.

"Arigatou-gozaimasu" her father said to the driver when the last of the baggage was unloaded. The driver gave a curt nod before returning to his job. Ino pulled out her MP3 player and turned the volume up, trying to ignore the cool winter chill that ran up her spine despite the many layers of clothing she had on.

The blonde waited while her father asked a Japanese man for directions. Stuffing her gloved hands in her pocket she hoped that the winds would die down soon. A small beeping sound was heard from her ear buds and she cursed when the music player turned off due to the fact that she had forgotten to charge it this morning. Taking off the ear buds Ino gave an exasperated sigh and shrugged further into her jacket, rubbing her arms for extra warmth. She closed her eyes and began to drift away from reality in hopes of warming up.

The sound of pattering feet against soft snow brought Ino out of her daydream and she looked up to see her father with a set of house keys in hand. He gave her an apologetic smile.

"_Sorry for the wait princess, I rented a car so it should be here soon_"

Ino simply nodded and kept her eyes on the look out. When a pair of headlights came into view she felt her relief sink in and immediately began to drag the luggage towards the small car.

The driver got out of the car hastily and took the bags away from Ino's hands, gesturing towards the passenger seat door.

"I'll take care of this Miss, it's pretty cold tonight so you should go warm up in the car"

Ino quirked a puzzled brow at the man and turned her head towards her personal translator. Her father threw a small duffle bag into the back seat before answering her silent question.

"_He says you should go warm up in the car and that he'll help me instead_"

Ino gave a slight nod before bowing to the man. She gave a small thank-you while opening the car door and slamming it shut. Shivering slightly she searched the dashboard for the heat switch and hastily turned it up.

A few minutes later her father was finally finished and the two were finally on their way to their new home.

"_The house is kind of small compared to the one in America but I think you'll like it_" Inoichi commented as he turned up a small driveway. Ino merely grunted in response, the sleep apparently still in her system.

When the ominous silence seemed to take over the car Inoichi cleared his throat roughly.

"_Ino sweetheart, I--_"

"_I know dad. I don't blame you and I'm not mad at you for the transfer. I'm just a little tired that's all_"

Inoichi nodded, a bit startled by his daughter's sudden confession. His eyes suddenly grew and a smile appeared on his features.

"_Look, we're here!_"

Ino averted her eyes away from the side window and stared straight ahead, watching a small one story house come into view. She frowned slightly.

"_When you said it was smaller than our old house, didn't you mean A LOT smaller??_"

Inoichi laughed and parked the car, taking the keys out of the ignition.

"_Same thing princess, now let's go unload the bags_"

Ino rolled her eyes and unbuckled the seatbelt, reluctantly following her father into the cold weather.

X

O

X

Morning light flittered through the blindless windows resulting in an unpleasant shine on the face of our heroine. Ino groaned as she turned in her sleep, trying to ignore the pain shooting spikes up her back. A part of her wondered how in the world Japanese people could sleep on such flimsy mattresses. Ino tried to bury herself further into her comforter while ignoring the growling of her stomach. She was about to doze off once again until the smell of breakfast filled her nostrils. Sighing in annoyance when her stomach began to growl even louder she unwillingly threw the covers off and headed towards the bathroom.

Ino let out a slight yawn on her way to the kitchen, the sound of her soft footsteps tapping against the hardwood floor.

"_Morning_" she greeted towards her father and took a seat at the small wooden dining table.

"Ohayou Gozaimasu" her father replied as he flipped an omelet onto a large plate. Ino leant her elbow on the table and scratched her head.

"_Huh?_"

Inoichi shook his head and sighed, placing the pan in the sink. He turned on the faucet and allowed the water to run along the greasy pan making it hiss in pain.

"_I said good morning. Really sweetheart, to not even know basic Japanese I wonder how you'll adapt to this country…_"

Ino stuck her lip out in a pout as Inoichi placed two plates on the table. Passing her father a napkin Ino sighed.

"_It's too much work to learn another language. I had enough trouble in school trying to learn French last year_"

Inoichi laughed and placed two tea cups in the center along with a small teapot.

Ino grabbed her spoon (thank goodness her father had decided to take them) and was about to dig into her omelet when she noticed something unfamiliar.

"_What's this?_" She asked in perplexity, seeing that on the omelet there was a picture of a crown drawn in ketchup.

"Omuraisu" her father answered as he poured himself a cup of green tea.

Ino eyed the dish carefully.

"_And what does that mean?_" she asked hesitantly. Inoichi sighed in exasperation and threw her an impassive look.

"_Just eat it, you know I would never cook anything you wouldn't like_"

Following her fathers words Ino drove her spoon into the omelet and scooped up a small portion of the egg. She was surprised to find rice inside.

"_Ohm-eu-rice? Does it mean omelette rice by any chance?_" she asked, taking a bite from the dish and finding that it was actually pretty tasty.

Inoichi gave his daughter a smile before digging into his own dish. Ino took her father's smile as a yes and she too continued to eat her breakfast. As always her father was finished before her and he hastily got up from his seat, dropping off the plates in the sink with a soft plink.

"_Ino, I'm going to work now so would you clean up the dishes for me?_"

Ino nodded and watched Inoichi leave for his room to go change. Finishing up her own meal she headed towards the sink with her empty plate.

Moments later Inoichi reappeared just as Ino finished placing the last of the clean dishes on the rack.

"_I won't be home until 10 so I won't make it for dinner. There's a pouch of money on the table so you can go buy any food if you're hungry_"

Ino wiped her hands on the dish towel and blinked in surprise at her father's instructions.

"_But I don't speak Japanese daddy_"

Inoichi merely brushed off the obvious fact with a wave of his hand.

"_Don't worry about it, most Japanese people can speak a little English so they'll understand you to some extent_"

Inoichi proceeded to smooth out his suit and walked towards the front door, taking his shoes from the small cubicle next to the entrance.

"_Oh, and make sure you stop by Matsue high school and get a transfer application. The school is just a few blocks from here so I'm sure you'll be able to find it_"

Before Ino could manage to make out words of protest Inoichi had already glanced at his wristwatch, gasping at the time. Saying a quick goodbye he kissed the top of her head and headed out the front door with his suitcase in hand.

Ino sighed as she watched her father get into the small car. Scratching her head she turned on her heel and headed towards the living room. Spotting the wallet on the table she picked it up gently.

"_Well, I guess it can't be helped_" she muttered and unsnapped the button. Her face paled at the sight and she groaned in detest, slapping her forehead as she peered at the bills.

"_Well this is just lovely! Dad seemed to have forgotten that I don't know anything about the currency in Japan!_" she wailed and crossed her arms in annoyance. How was she going to buy food now? She could try calling him…

'No, dad already cancelled our cell phones when we moved…'

Ino scratched her head once again at a lost. She could always wait for her father to get home. Sighing dejectedly she shook her head. No, that wouldn't work. She was a growing girl! She couldn't go nine hours without food! Running her manicured nails across the wooden table in a rhythmic beat the blonde sighed.

'Well…I guess I can just deal with the problem once I get hungry…'

Walking out of the living room Ino headed towards her room to finish unpacking her things.

X

O

X

Lying on her stomach Ino read the letter in her hand. Her friends from her old school must have stuffed notes into her bag before she left America. Feeling the slight prickling of tears in her eyes Ino continued to read the letter.

_Ino!_

_So I guess this is it huh?_

_Hmm..that sounded rather morbid! Lol!_

_Anyways. You better keep in touch girl or I'll go crazy worrying about you! And don't isolate yourself from others! I know you better then anyone else! Almost as much as Inoichi-papa! . Tell him I said hi by the way! _

_I know you don't want me to bring this up but I'm sorry things didn't work out with he-who-must-not-be-named ( No, not Voldemort you twit!)_

_But that's the beauty of moving right?! You can start fresh! He was an ass anyway so forget about him alright? If you want I can give him a pleasant kick in the groin! You know…even without your permission I probably will anyway! I'm sure you can find much better and hotter guys in Japan! Like those hotties in those Japanese dramas! Mmmm…_

_Okay I'll shut up now…Hey! Don't roll your eyes at me! It's good to be multi-cultural! If that's even the right word to put it!_

_Oh, and if you do find some Japanese hunks feel free to send pictures kay? :D_

_I should end this letter now since technically I'm going to meet up with you so I can slip this into your bag…_

_Whoa! So I'm like…talking to the future you! That's crazy!_

_Ah! Well I should go now because you just arrived. That sounds oddly strange…_

_Anyways, I expect an email from you by Friday! Or else! Bye bye!_

_Love,_

_Schuyler_

_P.S: Don't forget the pictures!!_

Ino smiled, refolding the letter and brushing the stray tears from her eyes. The other letters were just 'good byes' and 'we'll miss yous' from people in her class. Tucking the letter back in her bag Ino was brought out of her thoughts by the sudden growl of her stomach. She stared at it as if looking would make it stop growling. Standing up she sighed and made her way towards her closet. She took out a large white off-the-shoulder sweater and quickly pulled it over her head. Rummaging through her closet she settle for a pair of dark blue snow pants. Luckily she had bought them last year for a skiing trip.

Pulling on the padded pants Ino grabbed the wallet from off her desk and made her way towards the front door. She removed her fur leather trench coat from off the rack and headed out after locking the house.

Walking away from the house Ino took the time to drink in her new surroundings. Her dad had told her that Shimane was one of the less populated cities in Japan. A place where everybody knew…well everybody…

She stared at the endless fields of snow.

'In other words…it's like living in the boonies…' Ino grimaced and wondered what the people were like here. Of course the town seemed friendly and peaceful but she was a city girl so she wondered if she could fit in alright. Throwing away her thoughts Ino finally made it to the market district of town and began to look around. She spotted a convenient store (judging from the fact that it had the 7-11 sign) a few yards away and made it her destination target

"Welcome!" A girl at the counter greeted and Ino acknowledged her with a small nod. Making her way through the aisles she searched the selection of food. Spotting bowls of instant ramen she examined the price in disdain.

'¥545? What the crap does that mean?!'

Moments later after staring intensely at the prices Ino glanced over her shoulder, noting that she had been in the store for nearly 10 minutes and the cashier was starting to get impatient. She bit her lip. What was she going to do?! Stupid dad! Stupid stupid stupid dad!

The light jingling of the bell sounded as two customers walked inside.

"Mou Kiba-kun! Must you always buy food whenever we go out?" A girl with dark blue hair commented as she strolled along beside him. The tall brunette beside her smiled apologetically as he grabbed a drink from the freezer. He handed the girl a bottle of green tea before making it towards the junk food aisle. Ino remained quiet and pretended to search the aisle for the 'right kind of ramen'…She had to admit the brunette was good looking. The long haired girl beside him was also pretty. Surprising, since she didn't expect much from Japanese people…

Kiba placed the items on the counter and pulled out his wallet as the girl rung him up.

"Well at least some people can decide on what to buy faster…" she muttered in annoyance. Hinata and Kiba traded looks.

"Is something the matter Ayumi-san?" Hinata questioned. The girl sighed and eyed the blonde across the room.

"That blonde over there, she's been in here for ten minutes and _still_ hasn't purchased anything yet"

Hinata and Kiba looked behind them just in time to see the blonde turn her head away from the conversation.

"Hmm she's new…a gaijin maybe?" Kiba observed. Hinata shrugged and was sure that the girl was aware of their staring eyes.

"Um, excuse me, do you need any help?" Hinata called to the girl.

Ino blinked as she examined the ramen cup in her hand. Were they talking to her?

She turned her head and nervously eyed the couple. When they looked at her as if expecting an answer she opened her mouth hesitantly.

"_I…I don't understand…_" she mumbled quietly. The brunette and blue haired girl traded looks again.

"What did she say?" Kiba asked. Hinata shrugged.

"I'm not sure but it's most likely she can't understand Japanese" Hinata sighed, tapping her chin thoughtfully. She stared at the nervous blonde.

"If only Shino-kun was here" she added. Kiba immediately narrowed his eyes.

"Why?"

"He told me he knew and understood mild English"

Kiba rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. Feh! The bug boy was probably just trying to _**impress**_ her! Silently cursing Aburame Kiba held his head high with a newfound passion burning in his eyes.

"Forget him! _**I**_ am more then capable of handling this situation!" he retorted haughtily and marched towards the blonde.

Ino faltered a bit when the brunette began to make his way over to her.

For some odd reason Kiba felt his pride shrinking the closer he got to the girl. Feeling a little intimidated but not wanting to give up he racked his mind for English words he could remember. It didn't help when he realized that he was always sleeping through English class…

"_Ano…you…_" he began with uncertainty and bit his lip. Hinata looked as if she wanted to slap her forehead.

"_urrr…helpu?_" he finished lamely with a thick Japanese accent. Ino quirked a brow at his penetrating gaze but nodded slowly.

"_Help? Uh, yes…I…I want to buy this_" she stated while holding up the cup ramen. The boy seemed confused beyond words and he looked over to his girlfriend for help. Hinata rolled her eyes and made her way over.

"What are you doing? Even I can barely understand what she wants!"

"I know, but you know more English then I do"

"Not by much!"

Ino seemed to understand their confusion and she held up the ramen noodles once again.

"_I want to buy this_" she repeated again while holding her wallet and pointing to the cashier. Hinata and Kiba took their eyes off each other and stared at her.

"What did she say?" the male asked his knowledgeable girlfriend, his silent vow to top Shino tucked away carelessly.

"_You want to…umu…eat?_" Hinata asked and pointed to the cup of noodles. Ino nodded and pointed to the price tag while shrugging in puzzlement. Hinata opened her mouth in an "Oh!" when she finally understood the girl's body language. She tugged on Kiba's sleeve.

"I think I understand now, she wants to buy something but she doesn't know how to use the money"

Kiba opened his mouth in an "Eh?"

"Shouldn't you know these things before going to another country?"

Hinata shrugged and turned to Ino.

"_Uh, we…helpu you…?_" she offered and gestured towards herself and Kiba.

Ino's eyes brightened.

"_Really?! Thank you so much!_" she smiled with gratitude. The two teens smiled back, unsure of how to respond.

Ino set the cup of noodles on the counter and fumbled with the latch on her wallet. Before she could ask the two about the correct bill to use the brunette had held out his hand to stop her.

"_No! No!_" he protested, almost startling Ino out of her wits. He then proceeded to take out his own wallet and set down the correct amount needed. Ino realized right away what he was doing and she shook her head in protest.

"_No! It's alright! I can pay for myself just fine!_" she added but was too late for Kiba had paid the cashier. Hinata stood beside her and smiled.

"_It's okay, our treat_"

Once they left the store Kiba handed her the plastic bag.

Ino thanked them once again before they parted ways. The milky-eyed girl had said something about running late. Ino watched as the girl elbowed the boy in the ribs and said something that caused him to blush and look at her with frantic eyes. The blonde smiled again and turned around, hoping that fate would allow them to meet again.

Passing a small forest a sharp cry made Ino stop in her tracks. The blonde turned her head from left to right trying to pinpoint the direction of the sound. Before she knew it her feet had begun to drag her through the snow towards the open forest. Dodging a few branches Ino gasped when she spotted a small red fox lying on the snow with its hind leg caught in a trap. Her eyes widened and she took a cautious step towards the creature.

Feeling as if she had stared too long Ino patted her cheeks to snap her from her trance.

"_This is no time to become fascinated! He's hurt!_" she pointed out and took another step forward. The fox noticed her presence and continued to whimper.

"_Shhh…It's okay…I'm not going to hurt you_" Ino whispered in a soothing voice and held her breath when she was merely a few feet away from the creature. The fox did not try to escape so she took it as a good sign. Ino tried to pry open the trap.

"_Nngh!_" she winced and after much perseverance the bear trap finally loosened and snapped open. Despite her numb fingers Ino pumped her fist in the air victoriously.

"_I did it!_" she shouted in surprise. The shout must have frightened the fox for in a matter of seconds it had turned and scratched Ino on the hand before escaping into the thicker part of the forest.

Ino cried out when the pain shot up her arm and she fell back onto the snow. She clutched her shaking hand before glaring at the direction where the fox had gone.

"_Yeah, you're welcome!_" she snapped before bringing her attention back to her bleeding hand. She winced once the blood began to trickle down her hand. Holding in a cry of pain Ino held her hand to her chest, her legs still paralyzed from the incident.

It wasn't until minutes later when Ino heard the crunching of footsteps and a low voice.

"Who are you?"

* * *

_Tsuzuku..._

* * *

Chapter one finished! I love cliffies! Don't you?

Sorry for the boring opening chapter but I assure you things will get better as the story progresses…

Like always, R and R!


	3. First Meetings

A/N: Wow…an update…

"Example" – Speaking Japanese

"_Example_" – Speaking English

'Example' – Thoughts

* * *

_**Chapter II**_

In the small town of Matsue, a particular forested area was filled with a long silence that stretched across to the pure white fields of snow. A soft wind had begun to pick up amongst the bare trees as if whispering to one another. If one stumbled further into the forest they would see our startled heroine, Ino Yamanaka, frozen in place in her spot on the soft snow. The blonde quickly whipped her head around to stare at chestnut colored orbs. Time seemed to have stopped and she could only stare in surprise. The stranger cocked his head and repeated his question in a clearer tone.

"Who are you?"

Noticing her bleeding hand his eyes quickly widened.

"You're hurt!" he gasped and started to crouch down towards her. Ino snapped out of her trance and pushed back against the snow to keep her distance from him. The stranger blinked in surprise. The foreigner couldn't take her eyes off him and she unconsciously swallowed down her nerves.

'He…'

'He's HUGE!'

Startled by the stranger's large appearance Ino quickly averted her eyes away from him. He looked intimidating with his spiky, short brown hair and his large towering figure. Somewhere in the back of her mind she placed the feeling as how a small child would feel looking into the eyes of a vicious guard dog.

Oblivious to her misplaced fear the boy reached out to examine her injured hand. Ino had other ideas and pulled her hand away while shaking her head violently, thinking that actions speak louder than words (especially if one can not understand those words). The brunette wore a confused expression.

"What're you saying? Of course I have to look at it! What if it had rabies?" he countered and moved once again to grab her hand. Ino yelped and backed a few feet away. The brunette furrowed his brows and he slightly frowned. When the boy tried to reach out for her hand again Ino began to sniffle and she held her head to the heavens. Before the boy could open his mouth, a powerful cry met his ears. Ino closed her eyes and began screaming out her frustrations.

"_Ah!-Aaawwahhh! I'm going to get EATEN!_" she cried out in an attempt to scare the young man away and catch someone else's attention. The stranger furrowed his brows while plugging his ears in fear of the girl's shrill voice.

"_Wahhhhh! Daddy! This is all your fault! I knew I shouldn't have come with you! I was almost old enough to move anyway! Wahhh!_"

The brunette was now looking at her as if she had gone mad and Ino didn't give a damn. She was going to get kidnapped by this guy and sold to some….some BROTHEL!! (She had heard 'stories' whilst in America)

The boy frowned and crossed his arms.

"_Eat you? I'm not going to eat you!_" he retorted in defense.

The blonde immediately paused when she recognized the familiar language. She instantly peeked behind the tree she had thrown herself behind in an attempt to distance herself from him and stared at him with wide eyes.

"_You-You understand English!?_" she uttered in disbelief. The boy cocked a brow.

"_If I didn't, would I be able to talk to you?_" he retorted casually, his Japanese accent still intermingling within his English.

Ino remained silent before whispering slightly to herself.

"_Point taken…"_

The boy sighed and crossed his arms.

"_You know…if it was someone else, they'd take your comment highly offensive…_" he pointed out a little snippily. The blonde seemed to repeat her previous words in her head before realization dawned in her mind. Her face flushed hotly and she stood up abruptly, bowing to him apologetically.

"_I-I'm so sorry! Today has been such a crazy day and I didn't think you would understand me and-and_"

The brunette chuckled. Although he caught only half of what she had said (his English wasn't THAT perfect yet) he figured that her day hadn't been a walk through the park by the exasperated look on her face.

"_I was only joking…though just to be safe don't say it again…_"

Nodding her head the boy extended his hand out to hers.

"_Akimichi Chouji. It's a pleasure to meet you. My English is not well so forgive me if at time I do not understand" _

Extending her uninjured hand she shook his hand firmly.

"_Yamanaka Ino. I just moved here a few days ago_"

Chouji blinked in surprise as the information sunk in.

"_A Japanese name? I thought you American…so you are a nikkeijin eh?_"

The odd look on the blonde's face made the boy laugh. He scratched his head thoughtfully.

"Umm how do I explain this?..._A nikkeijin...is person of Japanese decent who lives out of country_"

Ino's mouth opened in a small 'oh'.

"_Then...I guess that's me!_" she laughed and her giggles decreased when the cut on her hand began to throb once again. Chouji seemed to have noticed too and he gestured for her to show him the wound. Examining the scratches he let out a sigh of relief.

"_Well...cut is not deep and it not look like it get infected…we go get it bandaged though_"

Without asking for the girl's permission Chouji had already grabbed her uninjured hand and dragged her off to the pharmacy.

X

O

X

Ino sighed in contentment when the medicinal bandage was pressed against her soft skin. She examined the Japanese first aid box as the hot-coldness of the bandage healed her hand. She turned to the boy who was crunching on a new bag of chips.

"_Thanks Chouji! Are you sure it was alright to buy this for me? I could've paid for it myself…_"

Chouji shook his head as he popped a chip in his mouth. He offered Ino the bag and she declined politely.

_"It alright, just think of it as..._ummm..." the boy crossed his arms in a contemplative gesture and snapped his fingers once he found his word "_my welcoming present!_" he reassured and dove his hand into the bag of chips again. Ino laughed and thanked the boy. She turned her attention towards the peaceful scenery as she and Chouji walked down the street.

"_The atmosphere here is so much different then when I was in America. It seems so peaceful here_…"

Chouji laughed at the comment.

"_I think it…um…_what was the word again? _Ah! boring. It is too quiet and the town so small everyone familiar with each other_"

Ino pursed her lips together and stuffed her cold hands inside her warm pockets.

"_That sounds kind of nice…_" she whispered quietly. Despite her appearance she preferred quiet over noise any day. When Ino lived in America she would often go to parties but only because her friends had asked her to. Ino actually liked to stay home and lounge around instead of partying.

Sighing into the chilly air Ino paused when she spotted what seemed to be a school building a few yards away. She stopped in her tracks and tugged on Chouji's sleeve, pointing at the school.

"_Oh! Chouji, Is that Matsue High by any chance?_"

The big boned teenager averted his gaze off the road ahead to stare at the building she was referring to.

He shook his head.

"_That is the middle school…the high school back there…_" he explained as he pointed to a road behind them leading into a forest of trees. Ino slowed to a stop and turned around to follow his gaze. She could barely make out the rooftop of a building.

"_I see…hmm…well I guess I should go then. I need to pick up enrollment forms_" Ino thought aloud.

Chouji gave her a look.

"_So you're going to transfer there?_"

She nodded. "_Not until this spring though…" _she answered and furrowed her brows while adding, "_the school system is so different here…_"

Chouji nodded in understanding. He clutched the paper bag in his hand.

"_Well, I wish I could accompany you but I have to deliver this for my friend_" he said a bit guiltily as he gestured to the prescription in his hand. Ino shook her head.

"_No it's okay! I can handle it. There are teachers there who can speak some English right?_"

The boy nodded.

"_Yeah...Look for an Iruka-sensei. He's an English teacher and his room is on the third floor in room 3-C_"

Ino repeated the information until it sunk into her mind. She gave Chouji a thankful nod and turned to leave.

"_Oh, I forgot!_" the boy cried as he turned around. The blonde turned to face him and raised an inquiring brow. Chouji gave her a grin and cupped his hand over his mouth.

"_I go there too! Just come find me if you need someone to show you around!_"

Ino smiled and waved her hand happily while shouting a grateful thanks. She watched as Chouji left and she made her way towards Matsue High.

X

O

X

The afternoon light filtered through the windows of Matsue High School, basking the small classroom in a small glow. A shuffling of papers broke the calm silence and two figures stood at the front of the room.

"Here's the make-up work" A low voice said and let out a tiring yawn. Iruka-sensei glanced at his pupil and took the stack of papers from him carefully. He noticed the dark circles around the boys eyes.

"How much longer will you be out of school?" He asked worriedly. The boy scratched the back of his neck leisurely.

"Dunno. Probably another three weeks…when things start getting better…" he said and coughed into his fist, sniffling a bit through his thin jacket. Iruka gave his student a sympathetic look and he placed his hand on the Nara's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"I hope everything gets better then…Are you sure you don't need anything? I know how hard it is for you"

The boy only waved his hand dismissively. He knew his sensei was just being nice but he didn't want to burden anyone with his problems.

"Don't worry about it. I'll handle everything on my own" he reassured and coughed once again. Iruka spared him a worried look but didn't press the matter any further.

"Well let me know if you need anything. I don't want something happening to my student when knowing that I could've done something to help out"

Shikamaru merely nodded, a slight thankful smile on his face.

"Thanks Iruka-sensei. I'll come back next week to turn these in" He said and waved the new set of homework papers in the air.

Before the boy could set foot out the door Iruka cut in.

"Don't overwork yourself alright? You don't have to finish all of the assignments you know…"

Shikamaru just waved without turning around. He coughed once again and closed the sliding door lightly.

As the raven haired boy turned to leave he quickly jerked back when something crashed into him and out of surprise, dropped the stack of papers in his hands. The papers fluttered carelessly to the floor and the boy cursed, eying the person who had succeeded in making his day ever more troublesome.

He found the perpetrator when he spotted an American girl sitting on the floor, rubbing her head awkwardly. She met his eyes and blushed in embarrassment, scrambling to pick up the papers.

"_I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and…_" she cried nervously as she collected the papers off the floor. She squatted on the ground and quickly organized the papers until they were neatly stacked.

The boy could only quirk a confused brow. Ino mentally rolled her eyes. It was obvious he couldn't understand her.

Shikamaru took the papers and could only stand there helplessly as the foreigner began talking once again. He did all he could not to back away from the strange girl. Just listening to her rant on was giving him a headache. Iruka-sensei must have heard the fuss outside because the older man had pulled the slide door open, giving the two kids a confused look. Shikamaru met his questioning gaze with one of his own.

"Uh, this gaijin sort of ran into me…" the boy mumbled.

Iruka-sensei turned his attention toward the girl and she immediately stiffened as if she had been caught doing something wrong.

"_Um…it really was an accident…_" she managed to say, averting her eyes from the boy's penetrating gaze. She didn't know why but she oddly found his face quite intimidating. It looked as if he was annoyed with her or something…

Shikamaru ignored her and glanced at the clock in the hallway, realizing that he should get going to meet up with Chouji. Turning to leave the boy's gaze flickered to Ino, making her stiffen unintentionally. He suddenly turned to Iruka, saying something to the man.

Ino watched as the Japanese boy told the teacher something and walk away quietly. She turned to the teacher and opened her mouth to protest against whatever the boy had said.

"_It...It really __**was **__an accident! I didn't mean to…_" she stuttered nervously.

She was surprised when the man laughed and he waved his hand to calm the girl down.

"_Don't worry about it. He's not angry at you…he just told me to tell you that it wasn't your fault…_" Iruka spoke in fluent English. Ino blinked in surprise and cut a glance at where the boy had just left. She blushed sheepishly and felt ashamed for jumping to conclusions. Now that she thought about it, she had also done the same with Chouji as well…

"_Oh. Um…okay then…_" she said in embarrassment.

Iruka gave the girl a polite smile.

"_Was there something you needed?_" he asked knowingly. Ino blinked and remembered her reason for stopping by.

"_I came to get an enrollment form and was uh, recommended to you by Chouji_" she said uncertainly, not sure if she had the right person. Iruka immediately understood and walked out of the classroom.

"_Well he was right about me!_" Iruka laughed and Ino kind of sorta wanted to roll her eyes at the man.

Iruka stretched out his hand to her.

"_Most students call me Iruka-sensei. It's a pleasure to know that you'll be attending Matsue High_" he said politely. Ino returned the smile and shook his hand.

"_My name is Ino Yamanaka_"

Iruka nodded and led her away from the classroom, explaining to her that they needed to pick up the forms in the main office.

* * *

_**Tsuzuku**_...

* * *

_**Notes…**_

_Gaijin_ - foreigner

* * *

Fret not my readers! More Shika/Ino interaction next chappie!

Until then! Tata!

edit 6/18


	4. Snow Bound

"Example" – Speaking Japanese

"_Example_" – Speaking English

'Example' – Thoughts

* * *

_**Chapter III**_

"_AH-choo!_"

Sniffling miserably Yamanaka Ino snuggled deeper within the folds of her lavender comforter and repositioned her legs so they were resting on the kotatsu table in her small excuse of a living room. Eyes lingering on what seemed to be a Japanese version of Wheel of Fortune she quickly pressed the next button on her remote and sighed in distaste. It was her eighth day in Japan and she was already bored out of her mind…

After flipping through most of the channels her small 15 inch television had to offer, the blonde restlessly tossed the remote aside after stumbling upon some random Japanese soap opera. Her eyes had barely focused on the TV screen for more then 5 seconds before she immediately lost interest and turned to stare out the window.

She parted her lips in surprise when she noticed that the snow storm had begun to rear its ugly face, darkening the skies as a warning sign to all. Ino watched as small flakes began to drop from the ominous clouds and remembered her father saying something about a big snowstorm heading towards the area. He even went as far as telling her to stay put and refrain from going outside today.

The seventeen year old rolled her eyes at her father's words and scoffed childishly, crossing her arms underneath the blanket.

"_Like I have anywhere else I want to be…" _she muttered quietly.

Pulling the covers around her tighter she leaned back and silently watched the show with a reluctant sigh.

X

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X

Creaking floorboards groaned from old age as a lone figure paused in the middle of the small hallway. After an eerie stillness followed the boy decided to let out a sigh of relief.

Shikamaru quietly continued on his way towards the front door of his house after making sure his mother was still asleep. He pulled on a rather worn looking chocolate brown ski jacket from the closet door and skillfully pulled his arms through the sleeves without making much noise. Looking down passed the many patches covering his jacket he frowned when he noticed another hole gaping out from the right side. Making a mental note to patch it up later he removed his new snow boots from the small rusty compartment by his door and silently thanked Chouji for the gift as he put them on.

Making sure his feet were securely tucked into the shoes he grabbed his knitted scarf from off the floor and wrapped it around his neck. Shikamaru carefully slid the front door open allowing a strong wind to carry in unwanted flakes. He shivered slightly through the tattered jacket and paused before he completely took a step out of the house. Turning to catch a glimpse of his mother's bedroom door he bowed his head respectfully.

"Shitsurei Shimasu" he barely whispered and slid the door closed after him.

X

O

X

Ino snapped awake with surprise as a loud thunk hit the ground below her. She sleepily wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth and sat up from the couch, stretching out her arms above her to remove the kinks in her back. Scratching her head she groaned at and brought her eyes towards the floor where her 'Japanese for Dummies' book lie. The blonde growled colorful words as she bent over to snatch the book from off the floor. With a small huff Ino carelessly tossed it onto the kotatsu table with small effort.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes Ino examined the clock on her wall and was displeased to find that she had only been asleep for less then an hour.

"_Great. Now I have fourteen more hours to kill before bedtime_" she remarked sarcastically. Standing up with the comforter still wrapped around her body Ino headed for her kitchen in search of food.

She automatically made her way to the top cabinet by the fridge where her daily meal was stashed for safe keeping. The Yamanaka heiress opened the cabinet door expecting to meet the sight of her precious instant ramen and the color nearly drained from her face when an empty space met her eyes. Ino closed her cerulean orbs again and opened them as if denying her 20/20 vision. To the girl's dismay the empty cabinet remained unchanged once she pulled the door open again a third time around. With an agitated growl she slammed the cabinet shut. Ino moodily walked over to her fridge and threw the door open with knitted brows. She could've sworn there was a whole box full of instant noodles just a week ago! She couldn't have eaten them _all_ in eight days!

Suddenly, at the most absurd time; a flashback popped in her mind involving her friend Schuyler and five neatly wrapped hamburgers. Probably from Burger King or something…

Anyways.

Long story short, Schuyler had told her, "_Damn Ino! Your stomach is like a freaking black hole! You have such a bad habit of eating too much when you're bored!_"

Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner!

The blonde sighed and resisted the urge to smack her forehead. Freaking random flashbacks…

With another sigh Ino decided to mourn over her lost ramen later. Her stomach demanded food and it wanted it NOW.

She rummaged through the refrigerator for what seemed to be hours and was displeased to come out empty handed…or stomached for that matter. The things in her fridge had been either condiments or suspicious looking foods that her father had brought home from who knows where.

Ino sighed when she finally reached a troublesome conclusion and she peered out the window to see that the snow had started falling in large flakes. Groaning at her predicament she reluctantly dragged her feet in the direction of her room where she could change into a pair of warm clothes to face the dreadful weather brewing outside of her comfort zone…

X

O

X

"Nara-kun, please deliver this to Miho-san at the art museum in Shiomi Nawate"

Shikamaru nodded and took the ramen container from the old man. Looking at the empty ramen shop he lowered his eyes guiltily. Rubbing the back of his head he tightened his grip on the handle of the wooden ramen container in anger.

"Teuchi-san…I knew it wasn't just my imagination…because of me, your shop--"

"Hurry up boy or we'll have to pay the customer a refund!" the ramen chef abruptly cut in as he shook the noodles in his strainer to get rid of the water. He continued to discard the noodles in a large ramen bowl. Before Shikamaru could have his say the man interrupted once again.

"If you don't hurry up this old man's gunna eat his special beef ramen without his helper" Teuchi threatened good-naturedly. Shikamaru blinked in surprise before giving him a small smile and turning to leave the shop hurriedly.

"Hey! And don't be running or you'll spill the ramen!"

The ramen chef smiled as the door closed with a small "Gomen!" coming from the other side. Listening to the fading footsteps he turned around and continued to make his promised meal for two.

X

O

X

Blue eyes peeled away from the window of the small convenience store.

"Ahree-gah-toe" Ino thanked in her broken Japanese and nodded slowly when the cashier said something she had no clue how to decipher.

Taking the plastic bag from the man she quietly left the shop so she wouldn't embarrass herself any further. Ino silently treaded among the soft snow and listened as they softly crunched beneath her boots. Looking at the long stretch of gravel that would take her to her house Ino stopped in her tracks. She shifted her vision towards the woods to her right.

'Maybe it'll be quicker if I just cut through the forest' she reconsidered as she thought about the forever winding road she usually took to get back home. After a moment of contemplation Ino looked down at her knee high boots and concluded that they were tolerable to harsh conditions.

Shrugging slightly Ino headed for the right and entered the forest carefully, dodging branches that threatened to pierce her jacket. She used her gloves to brush the branches away and was lucky enough to squeeze between two small trees.

As time passed the blonde began to regret her decision and looked back, seeing nothing but an endless field of trees and snow. Sighing once again Ino continued to dodge branches and cursed when her plastic bag snagged on an unsuspected branch. She carefully removed the wooden annoyance from her precious food and resumed her walk, hoping to escape the cold weather.

About another ten minutes had passed and the speed of the snow was already beginning to pick up drastically, making the harsh winds pick up amongst the trees. Somewhere behind her Ino heard a large clump of snow that must've fallen off one of the trees. Pulling her hood tighter around her head Ino squinted to make out the path of trees in front of her eyes. This was getting bad. She could already tell by the flurries of snow twirling around her small body. Ino held her hands up to cover her mouth and took another step forward, clenching her jaw when the icy flakes made contact with her eyes. Her eyelashes had already begun to freeze over, making her lids droopy from the added weight.

Bowing her head to stare at the ground Ino quickened her pace and carefully maneuvered around the trees once more. Her house should be close by now. It was only at least two miles away from the town and she had walked a little more than a half hour already.

Spotting a clearing through the thick flurries of snow Ino quickened her pace, ignoring how her boots would sink in the snow every few minutes.

Ino sighed in relief once she reached the clearing but stopped as soon as her eyes quickly scanned the area.

This…

…_wasn't_ what she had expected to see…

The blonde spotted nothing but a frozen creek and a small wooden shack a few yards away from her current position. The shack, at least it wasn't technically a shack, maybe a very small run down cabin or something; looked as if it were struggling to withstand the strong winds brought forth by the storm. To prove her theory further, the sound of it's old wood creaked in synchronization with the wind.

Pulling her jacket closer Ino made the decision to take shelter in the small shack when the wind began to pick up around her. She gave a little sniffle before hurriedly trudging through the snow to the front of the shabby cabin.

It wasn't until she had settled herself inside the small shed and had shrugged off her damp jacket when she realized her surroundings properly.

Ino's eyes grew in surprise once she spotted evidence of a person's presence lingering around the dusty hallway of the home. She examined the old jacket that hung limply on the back of a broken chair and the loud gagging of a noisy heater sitting a few feet beyond the hallway.

"_Oh crap! I didn't think there'd actually be a person who'd live here!_"

Looking around the run down shack Ino backed away towards the front door quietly.

"_I need to leave before they catch me!_" she mumbled nervously against her long white scarf. The last thing she wanted to do was delay her hunger and deal with angry people.

Getting ready to pull on her wet jacket once again Ino paused when she heard the sound of movement beyond the door at the end of the tiny hallway. A slight shuffling of movement sounded and the small creak of floorboards followed after.

"You're home earlier than usual…" a soft voice said as it got closer to the slide door.

Ino froze mid-step and dared not to turn around.

The sound of footsteps stopped just behind the door and all of a sudden the owner of the soft voice began to cough in violent gasps of breaths. Ino flinched and instinctively turned her head at the sound of the ragged breaths. She bit her lip and debated on whether she should take this opportunity to run or stay.

The hacking fits stopped momentarily and the woman's weak voice cut in once again, "It's alright honey, you should get some rest. This is nothi—" the woman's calm voice was interrupted with a set of even more violent coughs and Ino suddenly felt colder then she should've been. She shook her head, telling herself that it was none of her business and made her way towards the front door hurriedly.

Just as her hand reached the loose brass doorknob she heard a noise eerily familiar to something soft and heavy hitting the floor behind her.

The blonde stopped, releasing her grip on the knob and turned around, knowing fully well what she must do.

X

O

X

Shikamaru thanked Teuchi for the meal as he pushed his empty bowl forward on the counter, laying his chopsticks neatly on top of it.

"Arigatou Teuchi-san. I've never been so full in my life!" he joked and leaned back against the stool as far as he could. The ramen chef smiled and sat up, collecting both of their empty bowls on his way to the kitchen.

Shikamaru stood in protest to the man's kindness and was stopped as Teuchi placed the wooden ramen container on top of the counter before him.

"I have one more delivery for you to make boy" he stated quickly and to the point. Shikamaru stared at the container before raising his gaze at his boss in confusion.

Teuchi gave a brood smile, his eyes disappearing into the wrinkles on his aged face.

"I made this especially for Nara-san. The ingredients I used should be able to help raise her health a bit" The man added, forcing the handle into his assistants.

It took Shikamaru awhile to get the message and he could only bow in gratefulness before hurrying out the door once more.

X

O

X

Ino pulled her hand from the tub of hot water and wrung the cloth dry before placing it over the frail woman's sweating forehead. She wiped her own forehead with the back of her hand and sighed in relief.

After slamming the slide door open she had been shocked to find the woman lying unconscious on the floor. It also surprised her how weightless the woman felt when she had carried her to the bed.

Ino used her fingers to gently sweep the woman's tawny bangs away from her face. She clenched her fists at her sides quietly, dropping her eyes towards the floor. It was funny how someone she had just met could all of a sudden feel so familiar to her. Ino cast her gaze at the sleeping woman before bringing them away once again. She closed her blue orbs and took in a chilling breath. The woman reminded her so much of…

"_Mom…_"

Biting her lower lip Ino unclenched her fingers and quietly stood, never taking her eyes off the deathly pale woman.

She looked around the small room.

'Does she live here alone?'

The thought alone made Ino's insides churn. How could someone allow such a sick woman to care for herself? Wasn't there anyone she knew? Why was she living in such poor conditions?

Ino clenched her fists as a picture flashed in her mind of a long-haired pale blonde woman, smiling at her despite the pain in her eyes.

Shaking her head Ino cleared her thoughts. She gave the woman one last look, keeping her hand on the side of the sliding door as if hesitant to leave.

"_I'm really sorry…but this is all I can do for you_" she quietly whispered before shutting the door.

As she left the molding walls of the wooden home and trudged across the purely white fields of snow Ino found herself smiling up at the bright golden sun that shined down on her. It occurred to her that somewhere, deep in her heart she knew that the woman living in that small cabin was not alone…that somewhere out there, there was someone who was working hard to take care of her…

And just the thought brought a smile to her lips once more.

X

O

X

Shikamaru quietly stepped inside his house, living in it long enough to avoid the creaking floorboards without effort. He gently pulled open the door and smiled when he saw his mother sleeping peacefully on the futon by the heater.

Letting out a tired sigh Shikamaru helped himself to a seat beside her futon, setting down the wooden ramen container.

Placing the bowl of steaming ramen aside he pushed the wooden box away and gently removed the wet cloth from off his mother's forehead, knowing that it should be time to change the water in the tub.

Dropping the cloth inside the small pink bowl he stopped abruptly.

The water was still warm.

-

-

-

-

* * *

_**Tsuzuku**_...

* * *

**Sorry for the unbelievably LONG delay! I've been busy with lots of things...I'm trying to work out the chapter for Your Wish but I can't seem to be satisfied with it everytime I rewrite it. Ugh. And Usotsuki Boy is pretty much the same but hopefully I'll think of something...**

**Oh! and seriously. LAST CHANCE TO VOTE ON SHIKAxINO POLL! I'm going to close it this Saturday so hurry and vote!**

**I'm sorry about the lack of Shika/Ino interaction. I know I promised to put it in this chapter but I wanted to drag out their meeting a little more...**

Notes_: Shitsurei_ _Shimasu_ – (formal speech) I'll be leaving now/ I'm going out


End file.
